When it was released in 1989, neither Nintendo nor anyone else could
fathom the impact the handheld system would have on the market.
From its humble black and white beginnings to its upgrade into the
world of 8-bit color, the Game Boy has enjoyed a lot of success over
the years.

Overview:Pocket Monsters Red and Pocket Monsters Green
are
the role-playing games that started it all. You play as a young
boy
attempting to collect the 150 pokemon in the Kanto region. Along
the
way, you compete in a series of Pokemon Gyms in order to receive the
gym
badges you need to enter the Pokemon League. Featuring a deep
gameplay
that was unheard of in a portable game at the time, the games would go
on
to sell millions of copies worldwide.

Changes:
For the American release, Pocket Monsters Green was released
under
the title Pokémon Blue. In addition, the art files
from
both games were completely thrown out and replaced with that of the
Japanese Pocket Monsters Blue. The layout of
the final dungeon (the cave where you can find Myuutwo) in the Japanese
Red
and Green games is replaced by the layout used in the Japanese Blue
game for the American release.

Trivia:
It
took Pocket Monsters creator Tajiri Satoshi six years to
complete
the game. During this time, Game Freak almost went bankrupt, and
five
employees quit when they found out how serious the company's finances
were.
Tajiri didn't pay himself during the final months of development.

Overview:Pocket Monsters Blue was the same game as Pocket
Monsters
Red and Pocket Monsters Green with a few differences.
The
art used for the character in battle was completely redrawn, and the
Pokemon
Zukan ("Pokédex") was rewritten. In
addition, there was also a new layout for the final dungeon in the
game.

Changes:
This game was never released in the United States. The game
released
in the United States as Pokémon Blue was actually
the
Japanese Pocket Monsters Green. However, the art file for
the
Japanese Blue was
used for the American Red and Blue
games, as was the layout to the final dungeon.

Overview:Pocket Monsters Pikachu is the third version of the
original
role-playing game. The game follows the same storylines as all
the others before it, but it adds elements introduced by the anime.
Pikachu
is your first pokemon, and you are able to get the other starters
throughout the course of the game.
In
addition, the art file has been redrawn, and the Pokemon Zukan ("Pokédex") entries have been
rewritten
once again. Various characters from the anime, such as Joi,
Junsa,
Musashi, and Kojirou all make appearances, and a "surfing Pikachu" mini
game
has
been added.

Changes:
The game was released in America as Pokémon Special Pikachu Edition,
yet it is commonly referred to by fans as simply Pokémon Yellow.

Japanese
Release
Date: December 18th, 1998 American
Release
Date: April 10th, 2000

Overview:Pokemon Card GB is a Game Boy version of the popular
trading
card game. You start the game with a basic deck of cards and must
battle other card game players in order to build up your deck.
Eventually,
you come across strong players named card masters who help you get one
step closer to your goal of obtaining the legendary pokemon cards.

Changes:
N/A

Trivia: While the vast
majority of the cards in the game have real-life counterparts, there
are a few cards that are exclusive to the Game Boy game.

Players are
able
to trade cards with one another using the Game Boy Color's infrared
sensor
in the franchise's first attempt at wireless trading.

Overview:Pokemon Pinball, like the title suggests, is a
pinball
game. There are two boards - a red board and a blue
board - and
the object is to capture as many pokemon as you can by ricocheting
your
pinball at various targets. The pinball is actually a Monster
Ball
(Pokéball), and the better the ball,
the
easier it is to capture certain pokemon. The game's cartridge has
a
rumble pack built in, enabling players to feel every bump and vibration
during
gameplay.

Changes:
The word GET that appeared whenever it was time to catch a pokemon was
replaced by the word CATCH in the English version.

Trivia: The song heard during
"Catch 'Em Mode" is an instrumental version of Mezase Pokemon Master, the first
opening theme of the Pocket Monsters
anime.

Overview:Pocket Monsters Gold and Pocket Monsters Silver
are
the true sequels to the original Red and Green games.
Taking
place in the new land of Jouto, the game offers 100 new pokemon not
available
in any previous version. In addition, the game is the first game
to
include features such as pokemon gender, hold
items,
breeding, a night/day function, and an organized backpack.

Changes:
Some of the pokemon available in the American Gold version are not
available in the Japanese Gold version and vice versa. The same
goes for the exclusive pokemon in Pokemon Silver.

A number of
pokemon sprites were altered for the American
release. The most notable change is Rougela (Jynx), who had her
black skin recolored purple for the American release, but other pokemon
sprites (such as Aipom, Yadon, and Donphan) were changed as well.

Certain
trainer sprites were changed as well; the Fisherman got his cigarette
removed, the Medium's prayer beads erased, and the Sage's hands were
redrawn so that it didn't look like he was praying anymore.

Trivia:
A female trainer was originally planned to be included in this game,
but fans wouldn't see such a character appear until Pocket Monsters Crystal.

Overview:Pokemon
de PanePon is the Game Boy Color version of the US-exclusive
Nintendo 64 game of
the
same name. The game, which is essentially PanePon (Tetris
Attack in the U.S.) with pokemon decorating the screen, adds
characters
from the Gold and Silver versions of the games.

Overview:Pocket Monsters Crystal Version is the update to Pocket
Monsters
Gold and Silver. The game shares the same
storyline
as Pocket Monsters Gold and Silver, but adds a number
of new
features. Players have the option of choosing to play as a male
or
a female trainer, the pokemon each have little animations when they
first
appear in battle, and a new Battle Tower has been added.

Changes:
The Japanese version was compatible with a device called the Mobile
System
GB, a peripheral that enable players to hook their Game Boys to a
mobile
phone. Players were able to trade pokemon and participate in
special
events through their mobile phone lines, and many of the features that
would be seen in the DS games' WiFi battling saw their start here.
The
English version has this
feature
taken out (most likely due to the fact that cell phones among kids just
wasn't as popular back in 2000), so many of the features of the game
are missing as a result.
The
Pokemon Communication Center in Kogane City (Goldenrod City) has been
replaced
with a regular Pokemon Center, and the mobile features in the Battle
Tower
have also been removed. The biggest omission is that without the
Mobile
System GB, players are unable to obtain the GS Ball and are therefore
are
unable
to capture Celebi.

Pokemon Card GB 2:
Calling on the Great Rocket-Dan!(ポケモンカードGB2 GR団参上！)(-No English Title-)

Japanese
Release
Date: March 28th, 2001American
Release
Date: N/A

Overview:
Your road to becoming a card master continues! In this game,
players get to choose between a male character or a female character
with whom they visit a new island in order to stop the Rocket-Dan from
taking over the card clubs in the area! Players have access to
all the cards that
had been released up to the Team Rocket expansion set.

Changes:
This game was never released in the U.S.

Trivia: In Japan, the game
came packaged with two real-life TCG cards; Lugia and Rocket-Dan
Myuutwo.